When you’re a busy guardian or house prepare dinner on the lookout for a fast and engaging meal thought, you’ve come to the proper place. This one-skillet hen fajita casserole is a lifesaver on busy weeknights. I’ve made it numerous instances, particularly when the children are hungry, and I want a comforting, flavorful dish that doesn’t go away me with a pile of dishes. The daring spices, melty cheese, and colourful peppers make this fajita hen bake a household favourite in our house. Plus, the leftovers style even higher the subsequent day—if there are any!
Why You’ll Love This Hen Fajita Casserole
- Every thing cooks in a single pan for straightforward cleanup
- Daring Tex-Mex flavors the entire household will take pleasure in
- Nice for meal prep and leftovers
- Creamy, tacky, and satisfying consolation meals
- Simple to customise together with your favourite add-ins
Substances You’ll Want
Right here’s what goes into this scrumptious one-skillet hen fajita bake:
- Spices: smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt
- Hen: 1½ kilos boneless hen breast, sliced skinny
- Veggies: purple, inexperienced, and yellow bell peppers + purple onion
- Creamy Base: whipped cream cheese, purple salsa, lime juice
- Cheese: cheddar cheese (or Mexican mix)
- Base Layer: cooked Jasmine rice
- Oil & Garnish: olive oil and chopped cilantro
These easy elements come collectively to create daring, Tex-Mex-inspired flavors in each chunk.
Make Hen Fajita Casserole (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Prep the Hen and Spices
Begin by combining your spices—smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and salt. Sprinkle half the combination over the hen slices and toss to coat.
Step 2: Sear the Hen
Warmth a forged iron skillet over medium-high warmth. Add olive oil and sear the hen items for 2-3 minutes on one aspect, then flip and prepare dinner for one more 1-2 minutes. You’re not cooking them during—simply constructing taste!
Step 3: Cook dinner the Veggies
Add your sliced bell peppers and purple onion proper into the skillet. Sauté for 2-3 minutes till simply softened. Then take away from warmth.
Step 4: Make the Creamy Fajita Sauce
In a bowl, combine the whipped cream cheese, purple salsa, lime juice, the remaining seasoning, and half of the shredded cheese. This turns into your creamy, tangy fajita sauce.
Step 5: Assemble the Casserole
Stir within the cooked Jasmine rice together with your skillet combination of hen and veggies.
Pour the creamy sauce over every part and blend all of it collectively. Prime it off with the remaining cheddar cheese.
Step 6: Bake Till Bubbly
Bake in a 400°F oven for 20–25 minutes or till the cheese is golden and the casserole is effervescent across the edges.
Step 7: Garnish and Serve
Sprinkle chopped cilantro on prime and serve with lime wedges. And that’s it—dinner is finished!
Hen Fajita Casserole Recipe: Simple Variations
- Make It Spicier: Add a can of inexperienced chilis or a chopped jalapeño.
- Cheese Swap: Use Mexican mix or quesadilla cheese for further meltiness.
- Low Carb Possibility: Skip the rice and use riced cauliflower as a substitute.
- Add Beans: A can of drained black beans provides fiber and texture to the dish.
- Meal Prep Pleasant: Make it the night time earlier than and bake when prepared. If chilly, add 5–10 minutes of baking time.
Kitchen Instruments You’ll Want
- Massive forged iron skillet
- Sharp knife + chopping board
- Medium mixing bowl
- Oven-safe mitts
Why This Casserole Is a Weeknight Winner
As a busy mother, I’m all about recipes which might be fast, tasty, and require minimal cleanup. This hen fajita casserole checks all of the bins—plus, it offers me that satisfying Tex-Mex taste my entire household loves.
What I actually respect is how customizable it’s. On some nights, I’ll use leftover rotisserie hen to avoid wasting time. Different instances, I prep every part forward within the morning and pop it within the oven at dinnertime.
It’s cozy, flavorful, and so easy—exactly the sort of recipe I like sharing on Hip Mama’s Place.
FAQ: Hen Fajita Casserole
1. What do I want to finish this recipe?
You’ll want hen breast, spices, bell peppers, purple onion, whipped cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, cheddar cheese, Jasmine rice, and cilantro.
Kitchen instruments: a cast-iron skillet, a knife, a chopping board, and a mixing bowl.
2. Can I make this forward of time?
Completely! Prep and assemble the casserole a day prematurely, cowl and refrigerate. Bake simply earlier than serving (add 5–10 minutes further bake time if baking chilly).
3. How do I retailer the leftovers?
Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Reheat within the microwave or on the stovetop till warmed by.
4. Can I eat this chilly?
It’s finest loved heat when the cheese is gooey and melted—however hey, no judgment if you happen to sneak a chilly chunk from the fridge!
My Ideas for the Greatest Hen Fajita Casserole
- When slicing the hen, attempt to intention for two inch items lengthwise and 1/2 inch extensive. They need to be about the identical size because the bell peppers and onion slices.
- You possibly can add some warmth to this by including a can of inexperienced chilis. It’s going to improve the flavour and add a lightweight warmth.
- I used cheddar cheese for this casserole however you should utilize a Mexican mix or quesadilla cheese for a extremely melty topping.
- You can also make the casserole a day prematurely, then simply place it within the oven when you’re prepared. If it comes from chilly, it could want just a few further minutes within the oven.
- I like utilizing whipped cream cheese for this because it’s a lot simpler to work with. If you wish to use common cream cheese, simply be sure it’s softened.
Serving Recommendations
This creamy hen fajita casserole is hearty by itself, however you’ll be able to serve it with:
- Heat flour tortillas
- A aspect salad with avocado and lime French dressing
- Cornbread or tortilla chips for scooping
This straightforward hen fajita casserole recipe brings all of the enjoyable of fajita night time into one satisfying, oven-baked meal. Whether or not you’re cooking for a household of 4 or prepping lunch for the week, it’s a simple, flavorful dinner you’ll need to hold in your common rotation.
Give it a try to tag me on Instagram @hipmamasplace if you happen to make it—I’d like to see your model!
MORE YUMMY MAIN DISHES TO TRY!
Sheet Pan Hen Fajitas {Simple and Fast}
Sluggish Cooker Shredded Hen Tacos Recipe
ULTIMATE Inexperienced Bean Casserole with Bacon
Simple Taco Casserole Recipe
Simple Hen Divan Casserole
When you like this hen fajita casserole recipe – you’ll want to give it a assessment under! Get pleasure from!
Additionally don’t neglect to observe Hip Mama’s Place on Fb, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!
This put up might include affiliate hyperlinks. Hip Mama’s Place is a participant within the Amazon Companies LLC Associates Program, an affiliate promoting program designed to offer a approach for web sites to earn promoting revenues by promoting and linking to Amazon.com and different retailers- at zero value to you. You possibly can be taught extra about our Privateness and Disclosure Insurance policies HERE.
Description
Simple and flavorful hen fajita casserole baked in a single skillet! This tacky fajita hen bake is loaded with juicy hen, peppers, and Tex-Mex spices—an ideal weeknight one skillet hen dinner.
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 kilos boneless hen breasts, thinly sliced into items
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 purple bell pepper, sliced into 2-inch items
- 1 inexperienced bell pepper, sliced into 2-inch items
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into 2-inch items
- 1 medium purple onion, sliced into 2-inch items
- 6 ounces whipped cream cheese
- 1 cup purple salsa
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Jasmine rice, cooked
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (for garnish)
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Combine the smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and salt collectively.
- Pour half of the seasoning combination over the hen slices and toss till all of the hen is coated in seasoning.
- Warmth a big forged iron skillet over medium-high warmth. Pour the olive oil into the skillet after which sear the hen on one aspect for 2-3 minutes. Flip the hen and prepare dinner for an extra 1-2 minutes.
- Add the sliced bell peppers and purple onion into the skillet. Cook dinner for 2-3 minutes till the peppers have softened a bit bit. Take away from warmth.
- In a mixing bowl, mix the whipped cream cheese, purple salsa, lime juice, the remaining half of seasoning, and half of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add the cooked rice to the hen and veggie combination. Pour within the salsa cream cheese combination into the skillet and blend till evenly distributed.
- Prime with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese. Place into the oven for 20-25 minutes, till the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly. Serve with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.
- Prep Time: 8-10 minutes
- Cook dinner Time: 40-45 minutes
- Class: Predominant Dishes
- Methodology: Baking
- Delicacies: Tex-Mex
